5 ways you can make an extra $100 a month between now and Christmas

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By Paul Moyer, Deseret News

An extra $100 a month may not seem like a lot, but when it comes to covering the cost of Christmas presents, it can feel much bigger.

If you just started sipping something with pumpkin in it and realized that Christmas is around the corner, here are five tips that may help you put an extra $100 a month in your pocket to cover your gift giving.

Donating plasma

A lot of people donate blood when the big red truck comes to their work or school. However, while the free movie ticket and juice box is nice, it's not adding any money to their pockets. One of the easiest and quickest ways to earn some money is by donating plasma. What's easier than getting paid to sit back and relax?

There are hundreds of donation centers around the United States. To find the closest one near you, visit DonatingPlasma.org. Each center is different, but most pay around $50 per a visit, and they allow two visits every week. The whole process takes around an hour and a half to two hours.

Adjust your withholding

For anyone that needs some extra money, try adjusting your tax withholding. This can be a tricky slope, but it's a quick way to get a few extra bucks from the salary you already earn.

Depending on how many allowances you claimed on your paycheck, you can reduce those and enjoy more take-home money from your paycheck. In most cases, a lot of employees are taking out more taxes than they should, which is why so many people get money back come tax time, but if you need that money now, adjusting your withholding is a great way to get it.

Sell stuff

More than likely you have a bunch of clothes you never wear, a bike you never ride, electronics you never turn on, and some other stuff that just sits around gathering dust. It's time to clean out those extra closets and sell that old junk that you aren't going to use again.

Sure, you can have a yard sale, set up signs around town, or take out an ad in the paper, or you can march into the 21st century and sell your stuff the new way. Thanks to sites like Amazon and eBay, selling your stuff has never been easier.

Account sign-up bonuses

One of the best ways to earn extra money is by utilizing the spending you're already doing. The Chase banking coupons are a great way to earn some money on your spending that you would be doing anyways. These sign-up bonuses are extremely easy to earn.

There are several different offers that you can choose from, a $100, $150, and $300 bonus. All of them have various requirements based on the bonus and account type. For example, with the $100 bonus, all you have to do is open a Chase Savings account, deposit $10,000 within ten days and then maintain that balance for 90 days. For the $150 bonus, all you have to do is open a Chase Total Checking account and set up direct deposit to that account. Simple as that. It's the easiest $150 you'll ever make.

If you are already a Chase customer or cannot use their services, there are a bunch of credit cards that offer a sign up bonus. Typically, you will have to spend a minimum amount of money on the card to get the bonus. This will range from $500 to $4,000 over a three-month period. If you are already spending money on bills and monthly expenses, why not get a bonus for all that spending?

Sitting for money

Babysitting for cash isn't just a job for high school girls anymore. There are various forms of "sitting" that you can do for money. House sitting, babysitting, pet sitting. Regardless of which type it is, it's a great way that you can make some money by sitting there.

Aside from asking your friends or family if they need any sitting done while they are on vacation, you can also use sites like MindAHome.com to find opportunities near you. Not only can you get paid decent money to baby sit or house sit, but you can also use that time to find other ways to make more money, like selling your stuff on Amazon.

Everyone wants a little extra money, but few people know how to make it. You don't have to get a second job to add some cash in your bank account. There are plenty of ways that you can make a couple extra hundred bucks between now and Christmas.

Paul Moyer is the founder of SavingFreak.com and a personal finance coach: e-mail: paul@savingfreak.com twitter: @savingfreak

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